Perrino chair of hospital board

Summerland Mayor Janice Perrino is the new chair of the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Hospital Board.

She was elected at the Dec. 15 inaugural meeting of the board, pulling more votes than Penticton city councillor Garry Litke, who was named vice-chairman.Perrino replaces Walter Despot, the long-time Keremeos mayor who did not run in the November civic elections.

Perrino said she has been involved in health care off and on for the past 25 years, most recently as the executive director of the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation where she has helped raise close to $20 million.

“I know health care, very clearly,” said Perrino. “We have one of the finest regional hospitals definitely in B.C. and probably in all of Canada.”

The regional hospital district funds a share of hospital facility construction, equipment and capital improvements. Membership on the hospital district board is the same as that of the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, and the two boards meet on the same day. The largest facility is Penticton Regional Hospital which is in the process of developing a master site plan. In addition to Perrino, Summerland is represented by Coun. Bruce Hallquist on the RDOS and hospital district boards.

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